


Things That Matter

by the_only_education_worth_having



Category: Grey's Anatomy
Genre: Active Shooting Situation, Angst, Arguments, Attempted Murder, Blood, Doctors, Established Relationship, F/M, Fighting, Jealousy, Love, Mass shooting, Seattle Grace Mercy West, Worry, Wounds, bullet wounds, gunman, injuries
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-23
Updated: 2020-04-23
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:21:13
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,414
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23802997
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_only_education_worth_having/pseuds/the_only_education_worth_having
Summary: Jackson and Reader face trying times
Relationships: Derek Shepherd/Meredith Grey, Jackson Avery/Original Character(s), Jackson Avery/Reader
Kudos: 28





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Request - @i-padfootblack-things Hi!! Could you please write something for Grey’s Anatomy’s Jackson Avery where they are together and they fight right before the shooting at the end of season 6 and they’re mad at each other but she gets shot in the leg and he finds her when she’s trying to wobble to an OR and he helps her? Thank you!!

As my alarm went off I rolled over and hit snooze not wanting to get up and face the day. I opened my eyes slowly and then kicked my covers off so I could get up. My bones ached and I wanted nothing more than to dive back into bed and stay there. I stood up and opened the curtains which revealed another grey and wet day in Seattle, not that it mattered much as I would be spending the next 12 hours as I had yesterday, at the hospital. As I left the bedroom I looked on the couch expecting to see my boyfriend, Jackson, still sleeping but he wasn’t there. The spare pillows and blankets from the linen cupboard were still there all mussed. I headed to the bathroom, expecting him to be there, and found nothing. There was still condensation on the mirror and a used towel on the drying rack which meant he’d left without me. I sighed with irritation. He was so childish at times.

Jackson and I had been seeing each other for a little over a year since he had joined us with the Mercy West gang. I had been one of the first to welcome them in with my friends not sharing the enthusiasm I did, though admittedly mine was really due to my huge crush on Jackson. He was cute, smart and sweet though admittedly at times a complete numpty. Take last night, I had had a very busy day. The pit had been flooded with trauma calls and I was on service for neuro who got slammed with calls due to lots of head traumas and potential spinal injuries. I liked neuro and it was very rare that I got a chance to be on Derek’s service, it was no surprise that Meredith was always the first choice there.

I liked Derek. He was super smart and innovative but never minded taking the time to teach his residents and he always let us be part of the case. I was happy when I got to work with him. Somehow this had been lost in translation and when I left yesterday with Jackson I had been met with the silent treatment, well for the most part. I opted to ignore him all the way home feeling that if he wanted to act like a child I would treat him like one. As well as that I was too tired to argue with him after a long day at work.

He had lasted all the way home and halfway into me making dinner before he started off. He had made a snide comment when I asked him to help me out.  
‘Jackson would you pass me the cayenne pepper? It’s on the top shelf in the cupboard.’  
‘In a minute,’ he grunted in reply focused on his PS4 game.  
‘Or you know you could do it now, whilst I’m making dinner for us both after work?’ I said. He paused his game and threw the controller down on the couch angrily before practically stomping into the kitchen and getting me the jar I needed.

‘Thank you,’ I said sarcastically as he threw it down on the counter and went to storm back to the living room but not before he muttered under his breath, ‘don’t know why you don’t ask Derek next time.’  
‘What?’ I said  
‘I said why don’t you ask your new pal next time.’  
‘That’s what this is about,’ I said, ‘you’re jealous?’  
‘Well, do I have anything to be jealous about?’  
‘Of course not!’  
‘Oh yeah sure. I know how much you love being on neuro’s service and we all know how Meredith got to be his favourite,’ he said as if he was proving his point.  
‘Derek’s a friend, Jackson! A friend!’  
‘Didn’t look like that in the scanner this afternoon,’ Jackson said, ‘I didn’t know a major trauma could be so funny.’  
‘So he made me laugh? That’s what you’re mad about. Newsflash, I’m allowed to have fun with people other than you!’  
‘I know that!’ he said, ‘but it’s not just that is it. It’s all ‘Derek’s so smart’ ‘Derek’s such a nice guy!’ ‘Derek’s so sweet’. And don’t think that I don’t know you all still call him McDreamy.’

‘So I think someone’s a nice person and attractive that automatically means I want to jump into bed with him? Okay,’ I scoffed, ‘nice to know that you don’t think I have oh you know a brain or any reasoning skills at all. It’s nice to think you’re boyfriend thinks your so shallow and have no regard for the relationship you’ve poured your heart and soul into!’  
‘Stranger things happen Y/N. Derek was married before. He cheated on his wife with a girl from work, Meredith. Addison cheated on Derek with his best friend!’  
‘I’m not Derek or Addison or Mark fucking Sloan!’ I screamed, ‘and besides, I like Derek because he teaches me because he’s fun and actually helps me become a better doctor. He doesn’t shout like Bailey, he isn’t serious like Hunt or boring like Webber. Don’t you see that? I like Derek like you like working with Mark. Like you like being part of the plastics posse.’  
‘Yeah,’ he said, ‘except Mark doesn’t move the hair out of my eyes when we’re alone in the scanner room.’  
And before I could say anything else he grabbed his coat and stormed out. I ate my dinner alone and went to bed. I heard him come home around 11 pm and the TV turning on in the living room but he never came to bed.

I shook the memory away as I got out of the shower and put on my towel. I walked back to the bedroom and grabbed a pair of jeans and a T-shirt out of my closet as well as socks and sneakers. I grabbed a coat and an umbrella to battle the grizzly Seattle weather from here to work. I left earlier than normal which gave me enough time to stop off at my favourite coffee shop. Jackson and I usually walked to work together and I found myself pausing as I ordered deliberating whether or not to order him one as a sign of goodwill but anger got the better of me and I ordered for myself and headed to work. I changed and headed down to the OR reception to find out who’s service I was on today.

I scanned the nurse’s board for my name and found it where I least wanted to be. Under the heading that said PLASTICS, I found three names, Mark Sloan Attending, Jackson Avery Sr Resident, Y/N Y/L/N Jr Resident. Today was going to be a long day. I found myself a list of patients already in the hospital under plastics care and then got the elective list off of the OR manager to start reading up on cases for rounds. I found a computer and sat in the resident’s office so I could read up. It was a buzz of people but I was able to tune them out rather quickly with little bother as they came and went.

I had been there around 20 minutes and had prepped all the notes for each case awaiting Mark’s plan for the day and anticipating the jobs that Mark would ask us to do when Jackson came in. He was sweaty and in his running gear though I hadn’t heard him come in the bedroom early this morning to get them. He didn’t say anything to me as he went to his cubby and grabbed a towel to wipe himself down. I watched him discreetly, pretending to carry on with my work, as he changed into his scrubs and cooled down. He said nothing as he walked towards the door ready to leave. I was seething.

I stood up and slammed the laptop lid closed before thrusting it under my arm and grabbing my coffee. I reached the door before him and yanked it open, standing in his way as I said, ‘you can stop your pouting, I’m on Mark’s service today with you so you have nothing to worry about. I definitely won’t be having sex with either of you any time soon. Oh and don’t worry I’ve done all the chart prep and I’ve sorted the list out for rounds so you’ve nothing to do.’

Before he could say anything I walked off, allowing the door to slam behind me in his face. I headed upstairs trying to find Mark and found him at the nurse’s station on the surgical floor.  
‘Um, Dr Sloan,’ I said standing beside him.  
‘Yeah?’ he said eying me up as I said, ‘I’m on your service today. I’ve got a list for rounds and I’ve prepped the charts for us.’  
‘Good,’ he said, ‘where’s Avery?’  
‘No idea,’ I said.  
‘Well, you’re here so we might as well start. He can catch up when he turns up.’ We were two patients in before Jackson found us which earned him a mild telling off after we left the patients room. I followed them around like a third wheel. I answered no questions as Mark only ever directed them at Jackson. Even though I had done all the prep work I was offered no surgeries and got stuck with all the scut work. I couldn’t believe how unfair it was. We finished our last patient and headed to the floor with all the ORs as Mark said, ‘Y/N you get Jessica prepped for surgery. Avery, you come with me and we’ll get scrubbed.’

‘You’ve got to be kidding me,’ I scoffed under my breath.  
‘Problem Y/L/N?’ Mark said folding his arms, Jackson stood beside him silently.  
‘No, I just think it’s a little unfair that I’ve done all the work this morning and Jackson still gets to jump to the front of the queue.’  
‘If you don’t like the way I teach then feel free to jump off my service.’  
‘It’s not about the way you teach,’ I said feeling brazen, ‘it’s more the fact that you only teach one student.’  
‘That’s because plastics is my speciality,’ Jackson said.  
‘Because no one gets a look in,’ I spat.  
‘Why don’t you go and jump on Derek’s service? I’m sure you’d much prefer it there,’ Jackson said with a snide smile that made me want to scream.  
‘Okay children settle down,’ Mark said, ‘I’m obviously missing something here so sort it out between yourselves and whoever’s scrubbing in meet me in the OR in 20 minutes.’  
‘Don’t bother, enjoy your surgery Jackson,’ I said stalking off, ‘and prep your own damn patient!’

I made my way downstairs heading back to the surgical floor to do the odd jobs for the other patients and any jobs that the nurses called me for in between. Having a moment free I grabbed a coffee and then a laptop before heading down one of the deserted corridors on the lower floors that acted as a storeroom to settle myself in for an afternoon of checking blood results, updating plans and ordering jobs for rounds tomorrow.

I was sitting on one of the gurneys with my laptop balanced on my knees when Reed, a fellow resident, came flying in.  
‘Where’s the fire?’ I joked as she went to the racks of equipment that lined the other wall of the corridor.  
‘Patient. Having major seizures. Gotta grab stuff and get back,’ she said grabbing random items off the shelf.  
‘You on shepherds service?’ I asked.  
‘Yep,’ she said looking up as someone appeared next to her. He was an older gentleman and he spoke softly but they were close enough I could just about hear him as he said, ‘Excuse me, Ma’am.’  
‘It’s doctor. What?’ Reed said irritated.  
‘I was wondering if you could tell me where I could find Dr Derek Shepherd?’  
‘Um I don’t know,’ she said. I closed the laptop and shimmied off the gurney waiting for Reed to finish being her rude self. I figured I’d wait for her to blow him off and then I’d show him where to go seeing as I had nothing else to do. As they spoke I looked at him and I was sure I recognised him from somewhere but I couldn’t place his face. As I heard Reed snap at him, ‘I’m not a tour guide. I’m a surgeon. Okay?’

It clicked who he was. I didn’t see the gun. Everything went into slow motion as I watched Reed hit the ground with a bullet wound in her head. The gunshot echoed in my ears as I watched blood start to pool under her. I looked at him as he raised his gun and pointed it at me and I turned to flee as fast as I could. I felt the bullet tear through my leg and I fell to the ground with a clatter. The laptop skittered out of my hands and I tried to break my fall with my hands though I landed face-first on the floor. I turned my head to see him raising his gun once more and so I covered my face with my heads with dread.

‘Hey,’ came a shout from the end of the corridor.  
Another gunshot.  
And then nothing but black.


	2. Chapter 2

Everything was fuzzy. I could feel the floor hard beneath my back and a cold stickiness on my lower half. I opened my eyes and pushed myself up on my elbows. I was laying on the floor in the hall and I was surrounded by a small pool of blood and my scrubs were stained all around my legs. As I looked up I noticed Reed laying a few feet away from me, lifeless. 

I choked back a sob. It was only as I tried to get up I realised how bad the pain in my leg was. I looked down and felt my legs. There was a wound in my thigh, just above my knee. A gunshot. It wasn’t noticeable amongst all the blood and I must have hit my head when I fell as I didn’t remember much. The vision of a man and Reed hitting the ground was about it. The memory made tears swirl in my eyes. 

‘Focus,’ I said to myself. I had to get help. God knows where this man was in the hospital. Jackson flashed in my mind. Surely, he would be okay. He and Mark were safe, scrubbed in upstairs. I allowed that mantra to run through my mind as I felt my wound. It was deep but from the location, I would guess it hadn’t hit anything major. I felt my body looking for anything else. I seemed okay except from a graze on my hand and gash on my head from where I had fallen. I attempted to stand up but my leg wouldn’t support my weight. I managed to get onto my side and pull myself along with my arms to the shelving. I leant on my arm and fished around grabbing whatever I could find. I grabbed a bandage and some gauze which was just about all that was useful. 

I ripped the packets open with my teeth and got the gauze out. I placed it over my wound hoping it would be enough to soak whatever came out when I moved and then I wrapped the bandage around as far as it would go before tying it off. Now came the tricky part, getting up. I tried pulling up on the shelves but the way they shook when I did wasn’t reassuring. I flipped to my front and crawled as much as I could let my injured leg drag behind me. It was no longer excruciating just a strong throbbing. Luckily, I didn’t have to go past Reed to get to the exit, I didn’t think I could face that. 

After a long slug down the corridor, I finally made it to the elevator. Exhausted, I threw myself down under the button and took a couple of random stabs hoping to hit it. It took some time but then I heard the whirring of the elevator coming to life. It pinged open and I dragged myself in. Unfortunately, the hitting out method wasn’t a winner here and I collapsed against the pannel fatigued by trying.

I didn’t want to give up but I couldn’t think about trying to push myself up. Telling myself to be brave I tried pushing my back against the wall using my legs to pivot me up. Nothing. My injured leg was no use and more to the point I couldn’t feel anything when I moved it. The frustration and worry built up in me and spilt out in the form of tears. I was sobbing so hard I didn’t notice the fact the elevator had started to move. I only realised when the elevator jolted to a stop and the doors started to slide open. 

‘C’mon,’ I heard a voice mutter from the other side as I saw fingers slip in the middle as if trying to pry it open. As the doors parted fully Jackson’s face came into view and my tears started to stop.  
‘Jackson,’ I said with a croak. He looked down as if he hadn’t seen me there as he was in such as a rush to get where he was going.  
‘Y/N,’ he said with a gush of relief dropping down on his knees to face me, ‘oh my god! I was coming to find you, I didn’t know where you were and then there was a shooter in the building and I couldn’t think about anything else than our fight and I just-’ 

‘Jackson!’ I said trying to stop his rambling. I reached up and grabbed his face in my hands which made him fall silent.  
‘Forget the fight,’ I said, ‘it doesn’t matter.’  
‘You’re right,’ Jackson said looking down, ‘Y/N baby, you’re hurt.’  
‘Just a little. It’s nothing.’  
‘That’s a bullet wound. It’s not nothing!’ he said panicking.   
‘Jackson, listen to me. Don’t worry about this. Is the shooter still in the building?’   
‘Yeah,’ he said, ‘he’s looking for Derek.’  
‘I figured. He asked Reed where to find him before he shot her.’  
‘He shot Reed?!’ he said.   
‘Yeah, she’s… she’s dead,’ I said sadly.   
‘Oh,’ Jackson said stunned, ‘well there’s not a lot we can do about that but we’ve gotta get that leg fixed.’

‘How?’ I asked, ‘the shooters still in the building it’s too risky to be moving about. Besides, I don’t want you to get hurt either. I’ll be fine.’ It was a lie. My leg was hurt and the loss of sensation was a worrying sign that I wanted to ignore. My instincts were telling me I needed to get to an OR and investigate asap but all I wanted to do was find a safe space that Jackson and I could hide out in until this was all over.

‘Babe, we’ve gotta get a proper look at that leg,’ Jackson said reaching out to stroke my face noticing the gash on my head, ‘and you’re head. Do you have any blurred vision or spots?’  
‘No-’  
‘Do you feel dizzy?’  
‘No-’  
‘Nauseous?’  
‘No.’  
‘Do you-’  
‘-Jackson!’ I shouted, ‘Please just stop for a moment.’  
‘But Y/N.’  
‘I know okay. I’m a doctor and I know but right now I’m scared. There’s a gunman on the loose and I’m scared that me and you are gonna die if we go traipsing around the hospital and I just need you to stop being a doctor for one god damn minute and just be my boyfriend and tell me that it’s gonna be okay and that we’re safe okay?’

‘Okay,’ he said slumping beside me and pulling me into his arms wrapping them tightly around me, ‘okay.’  
We sat there for god knows how long. I thought of nothing just the thumping of his heartbeat next to my ears whilst he stroked my sticky hair. I didn’t want to be a doctor and think of the risk of staying here. I didn’t want to think about the pain. I didn’t want to think about the risk of moving me or the risk of Jackson getting hurt.   
‘Babe,’ Jackson whispered, ‘I think it’s time to move.’  
‘Okay, let’s move,’ I whispered.


End file.
